This is the first book in a new series by this author. I loved it. This book contained it all: romance, mystery, lots of humor, and wonderful characters. Can’t wait for the next book in this series

What a beginning to a new series for Darynda Jones. She writes characters who leap of the page and into your heart. I loved Sunshine Vicram (Yes her real name kinda sorta) and her motley crew of family and friends. The town of Del Sol where Sunshine grew up and has now returned as sheriff seems to make its own rules and defy the laws of nature (as well as the real law at times). There is love, friendship, mystery and thrills - just in the first few chapters alone.
This was a great read but there were a couple of times when I felt I should know something that wasn't quite there yet. However in the end it just added to the charm of the book. I can't wait to see where the next book takes us because it is going to be a hell of a ride. I think it is going to be even better than her last series centred around Charley Davidson that used to make me laugh out loud. Please write the next book quickly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in return for an honest review.

Great start to a new series by Darynda Jones, author of one of my favorite paranormal mystery series, The Charley Davidson series.
A Bad Day in Sunshine stars both Sunshine Vicram and her daughter Auri as they’ve moved back to Sunshine’s hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico for a job as town sheriff and what is hoped to be a new start for both of them. They have a strong mother/daughter relationship and I enjoyed their banter and fierce loyalty to one another. Sunshine has her hands full from the start and I enjoyed meeting a bunch of new characters along the way. There are potential romances, dangerous situations, troublesome pasts, and quirky humor along the way.
I loved the clever signs/police bloitter quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
Since this book is told from both Sunshine and Auri, alternating between the two often, I would’ve liked more clear definition between the two as it could get confusing, but I’m sure this will be rectified in the final copy. I love Darynda’s way of story telling and how quickly she hooks you in and attracts you to her characters. There are some unanswered questions and she definitely has me wanting more in future books to come!

This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I absolutely loved it! A Bad Day for Sunshine is a definitely a page turner. The story has tons of humor but it’s also thrilling and filled with suspense. The story has a little slow start but once it picked up, I didn’t put it down. These characters are all well rounded. I love the author’s writing style and the life she gave to this story and characters. I can’t wait for the next book! I am hooked on this series. I give this 5 stars.

I loved this book, it was so funny and yet put tears in my eyes at times as it did get emotional in some parts, it promises to be an amazing series, every bit as good as the Charley Davidson series, although without the major paranormal focus. I love this new group of characters already and I cannot wait for the next book!!

Darynda Jones is back!

I had mixed feelings when the Charley Davidson series ended. Could any book fill this gap? I love Ms Jones writing, her snarky humor, her wonderful characters, her crazy, unique sense of humor.
When I got the opportunity to read an ARC of A Bad Day for Sunshine, I grabbed it, and I was NOT disappointed.
Sunshine Vicram has returned to her hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico, after 15 years, where is is the newly elected sheriff. Sun’s parents had put her up for election, without her permission, and now she’s back with her daughter, Auri. It’s January and Sun is starting her new job and Auri is starting at a new high school.
Among the mysteries to be solved: a missing teenage girl, a missing teenage boy, and underlying it all, what really happened to Sunshine 15 years ago, when she was kidnapped for and lost a couple of months of her life.
Among the interesting characters are Sunhine’s best friend, Quincy, her deputy, her crush, who is also a nemesis of sorts along with his family, Sunshines parents and their friends.
It all adds up to a fun, interesting and fulfilling story, which I highly recommend to fans of Darynda Jones. They will not be disappointed!

Darynda Jones has hit that sweet spot of comedy and intrigue with a story that hooked me from the get go. If you liked the Charlie Davidson series and are looking for something to fill the gap she left behind then Sunshine Vicram is just the woman.

Sunshine is a fantastic character with a sassy attitude, good instincts and a real love for her family that shines through her interactions with her daughter. As she starts her first day as the new Sheriff in Del Sol, all hell breaks loose and we get to follow along with the ups and downs, second guessing if you've figured it out, only to have another curve ball thrown in to the mix. This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the very last page and I can't wait to see where this series goes.

I discovered Darynda with her Grave Series, I loved that series.
I was thrilled to see her new series and the opportunity to read the ARC.
Thanks to the publisher.

Welcome to DelSol, New Mexico where locals call Psych Ward.
After 15 years, Sun is home, she wants justice for what happened to her when she was 17.
See the town through her eyes and her daughter's eyes
Live through them both working to solve a case.

I love the wits and wacky sayings as chapter headings.
...Skinny people are easier to kidnap, Stay safe, eat cake...

I am excited for this new series!!

I was so thrilled to be able to get my hands on a new book by Ms. Jones!! I couldn't wait to read what her imagination had come up with now.

In this new series we are introduced to Sunshine Vicram. She is the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico even though she didn't run for the position! On her first day she finds out about the "bad luck muffins" and that throws the whole town into a tailspin. First there is a missing rooster, two teenagers are missing add to that the history Sunshine has with the town from her own kidnapping and her teenage daughter going to a new school. When Sunshine starts investigating she runs face to face with the hunky Levi.

You just gotta read this book and be in on the beginning of a great new series from this talented author!

Absolutely fantastic book! I’ve been a fan of author Darynda Jones for a while now, and when the Charley Davidson series ended, I admit it, I cried. I was a little unsure about this new series, but let me say this: it’s absolutely awesome and I really want to read the rest of the series when it comes out! Sunshine Vicram and her incredible daughter Auri are a serious dynamic duo who will turn the entire town of Del Sol, New Mexico, on its head. Or maybe back on it’s feet? Either way, it’s going to be a rollicking great time!

What a great book! I loved it from the beginning and am really loving Sunshine as a character lol. I got the authors humor in this just like I have in other works. I can honestly say I would love to read more of Sunshine's adventures soon.

Sunshine, the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol, moves back to her childhood hometown, determined to solve the mystery that has haunted her for years. She was kidnapped as a teen and held for ransom but can't remember details due to the drugs given to her. Now as sheriff, she has the tools to find out who did it.

Auri, her teenage daughter, wants to fit in at her new school but she's bullied from the beginning by mean girls. She does meet one girl who befriends her, but the girl vanishes. Auri wants to help her mom with the investigation but faces serious challenges. .

I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. The relationship between Sunshine and her daughter is hilarious and touching at the same time. Sunshine's sassy, snarky, and really smart, all of which adds up to a wonderful first book in a new series. Can't wait for the next one!

First off this book is loooong. Like 400 pages long. But...you can't put it down. I stayed up half the night reading it. It's non-stop action, snarky humor and one major revelation after another.
Sunshine Vicram moves back into Del Sol with her 15 year old daughter Aurora after being elected the new sheriff thanks to her parents machinations. A girl gets abducted from her home on her first day a s a sheriff and all hell breaks lose. Add to it major drama at Auri's new school and some very big revelations about both their pasts...There's a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book but i have a feeling that Sunshine's first love Levi played a very significant role in how her life worked out. Can't wait for the next installment!

Darynda Jones has hit a home run right out of the gate (sorry for the mixed metaphors) with the first book, A Bad Day for Sunshine, in what promises to be a series to rival her wildly popular Charlie Davidson series. This author is masterful is creating stories that ensnare you from the onset of their telling. She is also a marvel at bringing to life on the written page alpha males who literally take your breath away...for Charlie Davidson it was Reyes Farrow, for Sunshine Vicram it’s Levi Ravinder.

There are no complacencies at any point in the story...there were twists and turns, red herrings, secondary characters who muddied the waters to give the story the perfect lead in to throw out complete, “What the heck? Wow!” moments. Just when you think you know where the story is headed...it does a 180 and goes in an unexpected, yet intriguing/captivating direction.

I for one cannot wait for the next installment in Sunshine’s series...if the author’s plan is to keep you turning the pages at a rapid pace (which she’d done for me with each of her previous books, and now including this one) and then have you anxiously awaiting the continuation of the story with each new installment release, then I’m settling in for the long haul. I so enjoyed every step of Charlie Daniel’s journey of discovery...and anticipate it’ll be the same for Sunshine as she peels back the layers of the mystery of her abduction.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram of Del Sol, NM is a personality to be reckoned with.. She is elected sheriff without agreeing to run, returns to the small town where she grew up and takes on the job. Sunny knows the town inside and out, its quirks and its characters.. The town itself might be considered a character. When a teenage girl disappears, Sunny leads the investigation that bears many similarities to an incident in her own past. The story chronicles her first days as sheriff and her daughter’s first days at a new high school. Frequently the twain do meet as the case unfolds. The tone of the book reminds me of the Stephanie Plum novels. A little bit silly but with a protagonist that carries it off. There’s a mysterious and hot love interest, though in the end it feels like she may be the only one who doesn't have a good idea about what really happened between her and the hot guy in the past.. The book ends with the police case resolved but Sunny’s personal life to be continued. I enjoyed A Bad Day for Sunshine and look forward to the next Sunny book. Can’t really recommend it as a great, just kind of a fun lark with serious human elements.

First book I've read from author and most definitely won't be the last. Sun was my favorite! And really the whole town! I could live there and love it! The Book Babes, everyone needs those ladies! Auri was the sweetest and such a brave girl. I read book in one setting, just could not put down.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for eARC

Darynda Jones gives us another snarky, kick butt heroine. Sunshine and Auri, her daughter are the main characters and we get to see the story unfold through both of their points of view. Both characters have strong development and the flow and pace of the story is perfect. If you liked her other books, you will love this one. It is familiar without being a copycat. This one packs some heat, but not enough for your kindle or nook to catch on fire.

Sunshine Vicram and I could be friends. Actually I could be friends with the entire town of Del Sol. Jones gives us a town filled with fun, zany characters that make the story even more amusing and bizarre. We get enough mystery and suspense to make this a great first book. It is a full story but it leaves us with enough of a cliffhanger that I personally can't wait for the next book.

I felt conflicted about this story because I wasn't sure what it wanted to be. There were a lot of elements that felt directly portalled over from the Charley Davidson series, and while I love that series, I wanted something different here. Also, Sunshine's reasons for coming back - in investigate this terrible thing that had happened to her, seemed at odds with the light-hearted tone and also took a while to get going. In addition, I thought not knowing if Levi was her saviour or her abductor, should have led her to question whether her daughter should have a relationship with him, since if he'd abducted her (which I don't believe - I think he's her father but consensually) that means he was SUnshine's rapist. So elements felt discordant.

Even though this was the wrong version it was an awesome book. I loved it and can’t wait for the next one. Darynda Jones came through again with a fantastic story, great characters, another series to look forward to.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was outside of the genre I usually associate with author Darynda Jones- that of horror. It has action, suspense, a mystery to solve. It has interesting and entertaining characters. The characters show depth and the way they interact is funny, natural, and holds your attention. Even the more minor characters lend a hand to more fully realize the atmosphere of the story. I hope to see more of the “Sunshine” series.